Simon and Marcy
by Ashe Batcave
Summary: Taking us back to when Simon Petrikov and young Marceline met for the first time. I spent many hours investigating their travels from the rubble remains all the way to the city that they journeyed to, making an account of their adventures 996 years before the Ooo we know of today. Note: Please don't suggest romance, it's just morally wrong at this point in the story...
1. Simon and Marcy

996 years ago, before Ooo.

Smoke and fire fills her lungs. It grabs her and pulls her into the black abyss, taking her away into a limbo of life and nothingness. That is the unconscious fears that awaken and reawaken. Rubble crumbles like a hailstorm around her, blinding and impairing movement. She felt the weight of the world crushing her arms and legs. It hurt so much, even worse than falling over and scraping her knee. Where is my mother? Her thoughts were wrapping themselves around her tightly; muffling her slowly. She wanted her mother by her side again, she wanted to sit on her lap and tell her to make all the pain go away. She wanted her mother to tell her the war never happened, that it was all just a bad dream and that she will wake up happy and with the company she loves so dearly.

As she slipped out of consciousness from the agonizing pain, there was a light. Then a hand that pulled her out from between the concrete pillars. And then there was nothing.

She was only nine years old.

Isn't the sky just glorious? She thought quietly to herself as she drifted through the rotting buildings, feeling light and thoughtful. The sky was a deep emerald, making the buildings glow eerily in the distance, the sun hardly even visible through the venomous haze. She hummed a tune to herself; the one her mother always sang to her before tucking into her warm soft bed, the pillows caressing her as if her mother were holding her gently. There was a tiny sense of vibration beneath her. Gradually, it got worse and worse until she could no long spare a thought to her head. In front of her stood a figure draped in black tattered cloth, as if it had ripped its own shadow away from the ground and forced around its fragile shoulders. Its eyes were empty sockets, apart from a tiny green glow that hovered in the center, almost detached from the eyes that were looking down on Marceline that very moment. She said not a word, for its presence sucked away at her, leaving her a lifeless husk unable to believe what stood in the middle of the deserted wasteland. She closed her eyes, and wished that she imagined it. It isn't real, it isn't real.

Marceline awoke two hours later, wrapped in a thick layer of what felt like plastic wrapping, and lying on cardboard and newspaper. She blinked a few times and observed her surroundings carefully. A large metal box had enclosed her; about the size of a small factory warehouse. There were dents and rusted holes in the walls; cold air rushing through the holes, which months of neglect had eaten away. There were boxes and wrapping piled high, like a small city that was fit for inhabiting young children. There was a rustle in the background, to which startled little Marceline out of her observing thoughts. She looked to her left to find a shadowy figure standing just a little way from where she was lying.

"Oh good, you're awake little one" The shadow whispered softly. It crept carefully over to the frightened child, and placed a cold thin hand on her head. "I rescued you from the rubble" It continued, "it's alright now, I'm here to keep you safe". The shadow revealed itself as a man in his late thirties. His hair was silvery like spiders silk and danced on his shoulders, and he had a distinctively long nose which his round spectacles rested comfortably. His skin was a subtle shade of blue, as if he was cold to the touch. He wore a tattered jacket and mismatched trousers, making him look like he had lived rough for some time. He slowly un wrapped her and helped her stand.

"Who are you?" asked young Marceline quizzically. She became fascinated yet still very frightened of the man kneeling before her. She wanted to run away and hide from him, yet at the same time she wanted to hug him for saving her.

"I am Simon, dear child. And may I ask your name?" He responded politely.

"I'm Marceline, Mr. Simon but my mother always called me Marcy"

"Well little Marcy, it's a pleasure to meet you." His smile was warming despite his chilling appearance. Marceline took much comfort from this. She was finally happy to find someone who could keep her safe after she lost her mother and her father went into hiding.

Simon offered his hand. Marceline, still slightly afraid of him took it gingerly and smiled back.

They sat together in the far corner of the warehouse, and told stories to each other to keep one another company. Marceline spoke of her mother, whom she lost some time ago and her father who was not of a human nature who was in hiding, deep in another dimension. She also spoke of her vampire appearance which fascinated Simon and almost frightened him.

"Your father sounds monstrous!"

"He's nice to me, but he keeps leaving me behind. It gets very lonely without him. And my mother"

Simon thought quickly to try to steer the conversation away, to stop Marceline from crying.

"So, since you are a vampire, what do you like to eat?"

"I like to eat the color red!" She beamed, bearing tiny pointed teeth, which made Simon laugh rather heartily.

"That's sounds wonderful, little Marcy. Now, let me tell you my story. I think you'll find it very interesting. It all started with this crown I found" He pulls out a bright golden crown embellished with deep rubies. It glittered dully in the cloudy sunlight that shone through a large hole in the ceiling. He told her all about its strange powers and how it made his skin turn blue after using it to protect himself from danger whilst fending for himself during the great Mushroom War.

"Wow, Mr. Simon! That's so amazing, I think you are very brave" She patted his knee; the only place she could reach to pat him.

"Well, it's not that exciting. I just do it to keep the bad guys away."

"And what did the bad guys do? Did they try to eat you all up?" She jumped up and pretended to eat a large cardboard box nearby.

"They certainly looked very hungry! Almost as hungry as I am now."

After some laughter, some tears and much gasping in surprise, they had gained an appetite. They needed to find some food supplies.

"Let's find you something to eat, little Marcy" Simon stood up to stretch his legs, helping Marceline up in the process.

"Where will we find food, Mr. Simon?" Marceline looked rather unsure about wandering outside. It could still be unsafe.

"It's ok, Marcy. I'll protect you. There might be a food truck nearby that has food for us. Perhaps we could somehow get to the city just over the hill. There will be heaps of food for us there." They smiled at each other and for the first time since her mother abandoned her, Marcy felt safe.

Simon and Marceline stepped out into the cold restless wind and walked toward the city in the hope of help and a meal, the falling rubble avoiding them as they went.


	2. The Dream

The sky began to clear of the thick grey smoke, and the sun finally shone down on the land below, making the ruins glitter and sparkle. The place looked strangely attractive despite its gloomy and dreadful appearance, almost like treasure at the bottom of an ocean surrounded by wreckage that looked so devastating it could hardly be believed the shimmering glow was coming from there. It almost seemed that there could be some hope left after the devastating effects of the war. Knowing Marceline, this would be something she would cling to closely; young children have always kept their hopes up, because they know that it will always go the way they want it to, even if they have to wait many centuries for that one thing to happen.

Simon had found some clothes in a nearby building, and handed Marceline a thick warm jacket; two sizes too big of course, and a large brimmed hat that would block out the sunlight and protect Marceline's delicate skin from burning. Simon searched around further and found them some extra blankets and a large discarded camping bag a little way down the deserted street, which contained some tins of peaches. Finding a shady spot near some rubble, they sat down to eat.

"I've never eaten peaches before, Mr. Simon" mumbled Marceline through mouthfuls of peach slices. "They taste fantabadoosie!"

"They were always a favorite of mine back when I was your age."

"How do they get them in the little tins though?"

"Ah, now that's a secret only the people who make them know."

They both giggled and finished off their peaches. It was getting on for sunset, so they needed to find somewhere to shelter for the night. Marceline started to yawn, and complained of her tired legs from the long walk they had made since they left the abandoned warehouse, so Simon had to carry her most of the way; due to her size, she was light to carry, so this proved no problem despite the large camping bag dragging down on his back.

After an hour climbing over fallen trees, ducking underneath a collapsed bridge and avoided a swarm of angry insects that had somehow survived the damage, they eventually reached an old house and climbed in through a pair of cellar doors around the side. It seemed that the previous owners of the house had long left before the war, so the cellar was empty, albeit a few spider webs that had been immaculately spun in between the wooden beams that held up the ceiling. It was bitterly cold, but at least it was somewhere secure for Marceline to sleep in. The next morning they would make for the next journey for the city, so they needed all the rest they could get; the cellar would at least allow for uninterrupted sleep. Simon took the blankets he found out of the camping bag and placed one underneath Marceline and another over her. It wasn't much improvement to the cold hard floor, but at least it was warmer. He looked through the bag and found two small pillows, and placed one under Marcy's head. As for himself, he slept in his own clothing for he decided that Marceline was much more important than himself. She has many years ahead of her yet, he thought to himself. She needs to survive and be well, even in this dark time. He rested his head on the pillow and went to sleep.

Marceline grew restless. She spent hours tossing and turning, thinking of her mother, wishing she was by her side holding her closely. She was suddenly in the deserted street again, the emerald sky glaring down on the demolished buildings, plumes of smoke growing bigger and bigger as they lifted into the sky. There was that figure again, standing in front of her. Its empty eyes were staring right at her, making her lifeless once more. Marceline fought against the sensation she felt, and slowly dragged her lead-like feet toward a safer place; somewhere she could hide and wait for the figure to leave. The figure lifted a bony arm; draped with some form of strange cloth, like nothing she had ever seen before. It pointed a finger at the frightened child and slowly spoke in a deep scratchy voice.

Marceline It voice sounded like a hundred nightmares suffocating her. Come to me, Marceline.

"No. NO" She tried to turn away from the figure but it was as if she was frozen in place. She tried to move her legs, but they disobeyed her. Slowly, the figure pulled Marceline toward it, like an invisible rope wrapped around her. This is it, she thought. There was a sudden light, and then a sudden sensation of being shaken violently.

She awoke to find Simon kneeling over her, his face full of worry.

"It's alright, little Marcy. You were screaming for such a long time, I thought you were in pain". He placed the back of his hand over her forehead. She has a slight fever, he thought to himself.

"I had a dream, Mr. Simon." She said quietly. She sat up right; tears were beginning to appear down her face. Simon wiped them away and gave her a comforting hug. He felt icy cold, but she didn't mind.

Why don't you tell me all about the dream and maybe I can help somehow. You'll feel better if you do."

"Ok, Mr. Simon. But I'm scared that it will happen again and this time he will get me."

"Nonsense, Little Marcy. If he tries to get you again, just imagine me fighting it and keeping it away."

There they sat for a long time, and she told Simon all about her dream. She described the figure and how it tried to take her away with it.

"Its eyes were the scariest part. They would look at me and make me feel really cold, and then I couldn't move until it started pulling me toward it. I thought it was real, Mr. Simon"

"Hmm" Simon sat and thought about everything she said for some time, before saying, "I think I may have seen that figure before." He pulled out a tattered old book and opened it to a page covered in scribbles.

"I think what you may have seen, little Marcy," He looked at her carefully "Was the Lich."


	3. The Lich and the strange encounter

"The Lich?" Marceline felt an icy chill run down her spine. The fact that this haunting figure had a name made it feel all the more sinister. Why was she even having nightmares about this so-called Lich?

"Indeed, little Marcy" Simon replied sternly. "The Lich appeared in my dreams too lately." He studied the page containing notes on what he knew about the Lich. There was a drawing containing the most immaculate details; right down to the bony features draped in that mysterious cloth, its empty eyes and rather distinctively large horns that curved and twisted around a thin rusting crown. He looked like a king, deceased many centuries ago.

"From what you and I have dreamt, I fear we saw a glimpse into the near future."

"The future? But how soon will that be?"

"Well, we don't know. It could be within days, or even weeks. One thing I know though is that I won't let anything happen to you."

"I'm still scared, Mr. Simon"

"I know you are, Marcy, but you have nothing to fear. I promise."

Simon flipped the pages of the book until he came to another page of notes. This one contained a small timeline of events that occurred in his dream. He took a broken pencil out of his pocket and added a small entry about what Marceline had seen. He replaced the pencil and read out a few of the notes he had taken.

"From what you and I have seen, the Lich is planning to destroy the universe. I don't know when or where this will take place, and I am still unsure of how to prevent it from happening. You will be safe though, Marcy."

"How do you know what it's called?"

"A voice in my dream told me of its plans and of its name. I feel like the voice is familiar to me."

"Why hasn't a voice appeared in my dreams though?"

"Perhaps it's because they knew I'd be by your side."

Marceline looked at Simon with a feeling of relief. It always feels better when you aren't the only person who is experiencing something devastating. Although it is still a terrible thing to see, knowing that someone else is around to share in the experience makes you feel safe, if a little concerned.

"Right now, the Lich is the least of our worries. We need to reach the city and find supplies. Maybe the dreams we are having are just figments of our imagination." But Simon didn't look so sure after he said this. He wanted Marcy to stay safe, and the last thing he would ever want to do is tell a small child that her life is in danger. Let's just reach the city, he thought to himself. We might even find the answers we are seeking. He packed away the blankets and pillows they slept in, and picked up Marceline ready to continue on, all the while he felt his fears growing ever stronger.

"I hope we are just imagining things, Mr. Simon. I really do"

They climbed out of the cellar and headed north of the wooden house, toward a large concrete bridge. The bridge was crumbling, but was strong enough to stand alone. It didn't seem to have taken much damage by the explosions; however the war tanks and vehicles resting upon the bridge damaged beyond repair, some even looked as though they were in transit but never made it to safety. This scene alone sent an eerie sensation to Simon and Marceline. Crossing the bridge was the safest way over the river toward the city, otherwise they would have to carefully climb down a steep muddy slope, across the river somehow and then another climb up the other side; not very practical when there is a small child travelling along. They started to make for the bridge.

The bridge was strong, but for how much longer would not be known. Every now and then part of the bridge would collapse, but since the bridge was wide enough to carry hundreds of vehicles, it didn't seem much of an issue provided they remained in the centre and moved as quickly as they could. Simon put Marceline down and let her stretch her legs. They could move faster if they both walked the distance after all.

It was a tense walk across the bridge. Neither Simon nor Marceline spoke for about half the journey across. They passed cars, but it didn't seem that anyone was inside; perhaps they had managed to escape? This left Marceline feeling relieved, but also felt a slight sense of paranoia. What if they were still here somewhere?

Eventually they came to a supply truck, which contained tins of soup. Simon made a beeline for the back of the truck and forced open the doors. He grabbed as much as he could carry, Marceline helping along him, beaming as she held a can of soup in each hand. They were just about the exit the truck, when they heard a rather unusual sound coming from the driver's seat. They packed away the tins of soup into the camping bag, and went to investigate the sound. There was someone here?

Simon turned to face Marcy and ushered her to a safe place while he went to tap on the window. Simon expected to see a person who had survived and was possibly in need of help; instead what he saw was far more horrifying.

There was a smash of the window, and a muddy brown arm appeared. The rest of its body followed soon after. Its eyes and mouth were luminous green goo that dripped out constantly all over the vehicle. Its body rounded and thin; it no longer resembled a human which Simon could only assume it once was. What on earth was that thing? Was this the result of the war? He grabbed Marceline and hid her in the back of the truck. I'm sorry, Marcy, he said to himself. I don't want you to see this. He unhooked the crown from the waist of his trousers and placed it on his head. Immediately he began to change in appearance. His hair and beard started to grow, and his skin turned a deeper shade of blue. From his hands appeared an icy mist, as if he was about to cast magic on the strange mutant that now stood before him.

"I will keep you safe, little Marcy" He said to himself, and began to fight for their safety.


	4. A curious battle

It was a curious thing, the events that occurred soon after. Marceline had caught a glimpse of the action through a gap between the heavy doors. She saw what Simon had become and she wasn't sure if she was even looking at the same person who took her in and protected her. She was looking at a stranger, but this stranger seemed more than that; this stranger was her guardian angel, her protector, her guide to the city. She felt cold, but comforted all the same. She huddled up against the side of the truck, unable to believe what she had seen. She wanted to run out to him and make him run to safety, to make him stop and take the crown off his head, but she was too afraid of what was out there to try; she saw what Simon was up against, and felt too stunned to speak. She remained still and thoughtful until he came to collect her and take her the rest of the way across the bridge.

Simon launched icy balls of white flame toward the monster stood in front of him. It dodged the attacks and lunged at Simon, attempting to bite him and infect him with its toxic goo that was still pouring out from its vacant expression. Simon kicked the monster away in defense and jumped out of its path. It lunged for him again, so he forced another ball of icy flame in its direction. This time it hit the monster and forced it backward. Its arms started to freeze over until they became too heavy to hold up. It attempted to lift its arm in panic, but they remained stuck on the ground, as if its arms were lead weights. This gave Simon time to see to Marceline's safety.

The crown had fallen off Simon's head in his haste; rather conveniently as it was beginning to take over his mental state, and he gradually returned to his normal self. Realizing what had happened; he ran to the back of the truck and forced open the doors. Marceline jumped back in surprise, but then burst into tears at the sight of him being his normal self again, the crown lying somewhere in the middle of the bridge and away from Simon; she was afraid to see him in his power-mad state. She tugged on his jacket, tears still running down her face, and hugged him hard. She was so relieved that he was safe, but she was still afraid of what she had seen through the gap in the truck.

"I saw everything, Mr. Simon. I saw you put on the crown, and the way that you became so scary."

"I was afraid that this would happen. I can't keep you hidden from my powers forever though. You were going to find out the true strength of this crown. I just wish it wasn't so soon."

"Why do you have to wear it? Surely you are strong enough to fight them without it"

"You know I'll only ever wear it to protect you, Marcy. I would never harm you."

"I keep thinking to myself that you will though."

Simon began to feel guilty, but knew that if he hadn't put her somewhere safe, she could have been seriously hurt, or worse.

"I'm sorry, Marcy. I promise that it will only be for you safety. I can control it better than I used to, so I know who to attack and who is important to me."

Marceline didn't seem very convinced by this assurance, nor did she feel that it was a good idea him even having the crown in the first place, but she wanted to reach the city along Simon as soon as possible, so she said nothing. Then the monster yanked Simon backwards from Marceline and thrown down on the ground.

The intense sun light had melted the monsters arms enough for it to move them freely, and it took advantage of this fact. It was clearly determined to take them both, starting with Simon. Simon avoided the monster and tried to run for the crown, but was held back by it grabbing his arm firmly. Simon turned and punched the mutant on what should have been his nose, and it fell backwards from the force. Simon wrenched away from it and ran toward the crown. Successfully he placed it on his head and felt his body transform once more, this time in plain view of little Marceline. Now he was ready to get rid of this monster. He kicked it away as it charged toward him and began to levitate into the air slowly, his powers growing more and more as he did, and finally unleashed a huge gust of icy wind toward the monster. It flew backward over the edge of the bridge and was finally out of sight.

"It's gone now, Marcy. I told you that I would protect you"

"I'm still afraid though, Mr. Simon."

"You are far too important to me. You know I won't harm a single hair on your head. Now, I need to make sure the monster has finally left us, so stay here and be brave for me. I'll only be a moment."

Triumphant in his actions, Simon walked toward the edge of the bridge to make sure the monster had well and truly fallen into the water, but there was no sign of it landing in the river. Strange, he thought to himself. The monster should have fallen in by now. Just at that moment, it grabbed Simon by the ankle, and pulled him over the bridge.

In that split second, Marceline went from feeling comforted to being alone once more. She watched as Simon disappeared from view, and felt tears being to fall down her face.

"MR. SIMON!" She screamed until her lungs gave out and ran toward the edge of the bridge but she couldn't bear to look down for fear of seeing Simon's end. The monster, still holding on to Simon, tumbled toward the river below.


	5. To cross a bridge

At least, that's what would have happened if Simon's shoe hadn't slipped off while the monster was still holding on. The monster fell into the river, still holding on to the shoe, and disappeared out of sight. Simon had caught the crown at just the right moment, but was holding on to the edge of the bridge with only one hand. Carefully, he tossed the crown over to Marceline and hoisted himself up. Relieved that Simon was safe, Marceline gave him a hug between sobs.

"I thought I'd lost you, Mr. Simon" She hugged him even harder.

"I'm not leaving your side. Even if I'm in danger, I will fight in order to get you to a safe place."

"I don't know how I managed without you around."

"It doesn't matter now, Marcy. I'm here and that's all that matters"

The thought of being left on her own to cross the bridge started to become unbearable; the feeling of relief was quickly washing over her. It felt like a wave of cooling water, making her feel refreshed and revived. Finally they could continue their walk across the bridge; or at least, that's what they hoped. Clutching Simon's hand tightly, they continued the rest of the way across the bridge, avoiding cars if they could help it, and reached the other side to find it closed off with an enormous heavy wall made of steel. It wasn't a particularly strong wall against whatever had managed to gauge a huge hole from the top. This was worrying for Simon and Marceline; what could have caused such damage? Surely it wasn't of human nature? Bravely, they approached the wall to investigate some way of getting through this gaping hole. The only objects they had as aid were the cars; which were much too heavy, and some metal posts that had originally been used to hold up the previously sturdy bridge.

"We could use the posts to climb up toward the gap in the wall," Simon suggested, shrugging, "But I fear that we are not strong enough to lift one up to put it against the wall." Simon looked over to the side of the bridge, where there was a gap surrounded by high bushes. If they could build their own bridge to cross over to the gap, they could save themselves from having to climb. But how on earth were they to do that? Neither of them could lift something large and sturdy enough to reach the edge. Simon thought hard. He looked at Marceline, who had sat on the floor with some rocks, pretending they were flying like birds. _Flying!_ Simon had a sudden idea.

"What if I was to put on the crown, and fly us over to those bushes over there? It's risky, but it's the best I can think of."

"What if you don't make it over there, though? What if you end up losing control?"

"We don't really have much of a choice since neither of us would be strong enough to move the posts"

"I guess so, but it is a bit risk to take, Mr. Simon"

"Like I said before, it is the best I can think of. I will try to make the flight a quick one."

It did seem risky, but it was only a short distance, or at least that's how it appeared. What didn't make sense to Simon was why there was a gap large enough for them to get to between the steel walls. Then he looked more closely. Something had cut it away. Of course it made no sense to cut a gap in the wall that immediately drops down into the river, but what if somehow it did? He looked down toward the river below. Now he looked closer, he could see the river was murky and shadowy, as if something had lived below its surface, awaiting a surprise attack on the survivors. There were markings on the cliff edge, as if something had climbed with sharp tools. The bushes would have made a good hiding place to await an attack. Could this be a good idea crossing the bridge after all? Simon wasn't so sure. What if the invader was still there; lurking, awaiting its next victims? We need to get to the city. It's the only way we will survive.

"Ok, Marcy I'm going to put the crown on and take you over to that gap in between the two walls. We will make for those bushes. I will keep the crown on until it is safe to continue our journey."

"But if you keep the crown on, Mr. Simon, you'll be all scary again. I don't want you like that"

"It's the best way across the bridge and to safety, little Marcy. I promise as soon as we know it is safe, I will take off the crown. I can control it now, it's not like before."

"You promise?"

"Of course I do"

Reluctantly, she nodded and allowed Simon to go through with his plan. Carefully he unhooked the crown from his belt loop, and placed it upon his head, all the time focusing on fighting against it. He picked up Marceline and walked to the edge of the bridge, still fighting the urge to lose his mind. He took a few steps backward, and then made a running start toward the edge. Within moments he was airborne, still fighting against the crown as he focused on carrying Marceline to safety. Marcy shut her eyes tightly; she was afraid of being so high up in the air. She hoped that they would reach the other side soon. She hoped Simon would be back to his old self too. But there was a problem, and Marceline found herself falling. Simon had let go of her by accident; and as she screamed, Simon reached out for her in fear that he had failed her for the first time.


	6. Stick to the path

Marceline opened her eyes, to find herself suspended in mid-air. She was back in the abandoned city, the emerald skies glaring down on her once more. She felt the same familiar coldness wrapping her up tightly, preventing her from moving freely.

The Lich, she now knew its true name, was standing before her just as it had done several times before. She heard, almost felt, the scratchy dark voice that the Lich spoke; once more it shook Marceline to her very core.

_Come to me, Marceline._

_Come into the circle._

_Come to me, Marceline._

Once again, she felt herself being pulled closer to the Lich, its menacing eyes filling her up with fear. She tried to pull away from it, but once again to no avail.

_You cannot escape, Marceline._

_Come into the circle._

"NO!" She tried her hardest to overcome its terrifying gaze and the feeling that it left her. The more she fought though, the weaker she became as if it were sapping away at every bit of strength that she had in her body. Eventually, she decided to give in to the Lich's power, knowing that this was the end for her. No one was around to help, not even Simon whom had dropped her at such a height.

_Come to the circle._

_Come to it and feel my wrath on the universe._

_Come into the circle, little Marceline._

The voice steadily grew fainter as she found herself. She was falling right toward the river. A hard tug on her coat lifted her up and gradually closer to safety. Her head still spinning, she tried to familiarise herself with where she had landed. Then she saw Simon, and her mind became focused once more.

"I thought I'd lost you, little Marcy."

"Why did you let go?"

"I was fighting against the crown"

Simon had been so focused on keeping himself together, that he had dropped Marceline by mistake.

"Realising that I dropped you jerked me right back into myself, and I knew I had to catch you. I really thought that I'd lost you, little Marcy. I'm so sorry."

"I knew that crown was a bad idea, Mr Simon. But it's alright, I am safe and I want to keep going with you." She took his hand and smiled.

"Well now that's over, where on earth are we?"

Slowly, they turned away from the edge of the slope. There were trees going along for quite some time, as if the bridge led to a short forest path to the next town. It was rather shaded and would make for a good spot to stay overnight, if they didn't need to get as far as they could in the next few hours.

Remembering what he had noticed about the damage done to the wall, he started making his way through the trees, Marceline still holding his hand.

"Why are we walking so quickly, Mr Simon? Shouldn't we find somewhere to make a camp?"

"I think that might be too risky now. I feel that something isn't quite right about being here."

"What do you mean, Mr Simon?"

Before he could respond, there was a slight rustling coming from behind them.

"We need to get on the path, quickly"

"Why, Mr. Simon?

"Just follow me, and be careful otherwise you'll trip"

The rustling was getting louder. Simon knew that the path was only a short distance from where they were, but it still didn't settle too well with him what could be hiding in the trees. He helped Marceline over fallen tree trunks and carried her after she tripped on a root. They finally made it on the path, but the rustling didn't seem to fade; it was in fact getting closer.

Simon placed a hand over his crown, ready to put it on in case of something rather sinister lurking in the forest, all the while keeping Marceline close to him.

"Keep quiet, Marcy. I think there could be something nearby"

"Like a monster?"

"I don't know. Just stick with me"

They waited each second as they watched carefully in the trees. They heard breathing, then a low grumble. Eventually the sound's owner crept out through the bushes. It was merely a small deer, following them; it appeared to have been afraid of something and took a liking to Marceline. It came over to Marcy and allowed her to pet it on its nose.

"We have another companion joining us for the night."

"Can the deer come with us then, Mr Simon?"

"Well, he can stay with us overnight, but tomorrow we will need to find him somewhere to make a home for himself"

"What if he's the only animal that survived?"

"He might be, but there could be more out there. Though now that shouldn't matter too much. We need to make a camp for now"

Simon decided to make a small camp a mile down from where they found the deer, sticking close to the path for when of an escape. The deer was given food and a small pile of moss and leaves used as bedding. It seemed rather content.

Still paranoid of what might be out there, he kept watch for most of the night, keeping a close eye on Marceline using a torch he had found near the bottom of the camping bag. Every now and again he would walk around the camp where they slept, making sure nothing was hiding nearby. Slowly he drifted off after a few hours.

A little distance away from the camp, someone or something was watching them carefully, waiting for the right moment to strike. It could be hours before they do; because they want to wait until the perfect time. The unknown person's breathing was raspy, as if they had run for some distance, possibly seeking the ones who slept in the camp. They watched and waited until dawn came, waiting until that one perfect moment.


	7. We weren't the only ones

She didn't know if she would have ever found anyone else living among all this chaos. She had walked from the city, desperately seeking a way out, but once she had spied travellers heading in her direction, she realised it was no better out there than in here. For some time she had watched the pair as they set up camp in the woods. To approach them so suddenly would have been troublesome, especially for the small child. She waited until dawn, before she decided to make her appearance known.

_Several hours earlier_

She couldn't remember anything. It was getting late as the sun slowly buried itself into the horizon, the once glittering forest becoming a shadowy haven of darkness and silence. The young woman had been unconscious for what seemed like days, maybe months. Her long chocolate-brown hair tangled with branches and dirt from the forest, her skin pale; making the grazes against her cheek flare up angrily as the sun settled and the gentle wind skim across her face.

_Where am I?_

She slowly lifted herself from where she lay, only to clutch her head in agony; she must have hit it against the ground, no wonder she was unconscious for so long. She reached around for a pack; she remembered carrying one with her containing a first aid kit. Dabbing at her wounds with antiseptic, she tried her hardest to remember what had happened.

Nothing came back to her. It was as if a chunk of time had disappeared altogether. Surely there was something, anything that could help her retrace what had happened. She stood up slowly, brushing the leaves and twigs from her tattered coat, and stumbled toward a road, somewhere she could find safety.

She walked for miles, the forest almost black albeit the glinting of stars to help her find some way of getting to shelter. Eventually she stopped to rest to gather her thoughts again. I should check my pockets, she thought to herself. Routing through every pocket she had, she soon came across a small scrap of paper and an old journal. It soon came back to her; she had met something not long before she fell. What that thing was, was still not entirely clear in her mind. She flipped through the pages of the book, hoping a clue would reach her, but there was nothing but ineligible scribbles.

She reached for her pack, hoping that some supplies were there; she hadn't realised how hungry she had gotten. Her fingers closed around something she wished she could never look at again. She pulled out a circle. It was thin but sturdy and ended with a small red droplet. It had caused so much trouble for her; it brought such tremendous power but at such great cost. Not only did she not know where she was, but she had even forgotten who _she_ was. She threw it back into her bag and looked at her hands; tinged a light minty green...what had that circlet done to her?

Fighting back tears, she continued to walk toward anything; a road, a light, just something to keep her thoughts preoccupied. In the distance she saw a low orange glow, and started to follow it.

That was when she spied upon a dying fire, with two figures occupying it along with what appeared to look like a large animal. Should I approach? She wondered this for some time before deciding to keep her distance. For now she would rest, and wait until dawn.

The morning was brighter than it had been before; the sun glinting through gaps in the trees, stirring them from their peaceful slumbers. Rubbing her eyes, Marceline awoke to find the deer resting by her side, and gave it a pat on its head. Simon emerged from some nearby trees carrying a few plump berries in his hand.

"I know a thing or two about edible food that grows around these parts, so I can assure you that these are safe to eat. They will keep your strength up" He shared the berries with Marceline, and even fed a few to the now waking deer.

"Now then Marcy, I think we had better come up with a safety plan for today, you know, if something happens and we need to get away. I was thinking that we should stick to the road as much as we can. We can't make any stops, nor can we turn around at any point. The deer is welcome to travel with us, as long as it helps carry the pack." He looked at the deer warmly. The deer responded with a slight bow.

"Hmm, what if I get left by accident, Mr. Simon?"

"You will be fine, because I will keep with you . If the deer leaves us, we mustn't go after it under any circumstances. We must keep moving."

"What about the supplies?"

"I will carry the food and emergency supplies. The deer will carry anything else we have. We will wear at least one extra layer of clothing on our person and keep the rest with the deer. That way if anything happens, we know that the only thing we lose is clothes. Hopefully we will be close enough to a shop or a supply truck to find some more anyway."

After further discussion, they both nodded in agreement and cleared away any evidence that they had camped there, if someone or something was hunting. They strapped a bag full of clothing on to the deer's back and made their way along the forest road in the hope of finding themselves closer to the city. They had only been walking for ten minutes.

"WAIT!" there was the sound of a desperate voice from the distance. They spun around to see a young woman, early thirties running toward them looking rather fatigued and injured.

"Please wait" she begged, "I have looked for somewhere safe. I woke up in the middle of the forest and I can't remember anything. I have supplies and a first aid kit with me. Please let me come with you."

Simon looked at her, his face was calm.

"How long have you been nearby?"

"For some time, possibly several hours"

"I see" He looked at her for some time; it was as if he was trying to remember her, but the face and name stuck somewhere in the back of his mind, locking itself away tightly as he tried to push the thought forward.

"I feel like I know you. What is your name?" He said finally.

"I do not know my name. I do not remember myself like I used to. Please let me come with you."

Marcy looked up at Simon and then looked at the strange woman.

"Mr. Simon, I think we should let her come with us. She looks like a nice woman."

"How can we trust her though? Though she does look like someone I knew before..."

He sighed before continuing.

"We could do with extra company. Please see to it that you take care of little Marcy here as much as you can. She deserves a future after all."

"I will"

Simon looked at her carefully and held out a hand.

"I'm Simon. Welcome to the group."

She nodded and walked along with them down the forest road.


End file.
